Learning to Respond Correctly

I Samuel 18:14- “And David behaved himself wisely in all his ways; and the LORD was with him.” KJV

How should we respond to acts of hatred toward us? What if someone absolutely hates us? What if a leader in your life is doing you wrong? Society tells us we should respond with aggression so that we keep our reputation and do not seem weak. What does God say about it? Allow me to take a moment and look with you into the life of David a man after God’s own heart. Here in chapter 18 David has been anointed to be the next King and is experiencing great success in battle. Yet his mentor King Saul because of envy begins a journey to kill David. As this chapter goes on we see that David had opportunities to kill Saul yet did not because he was God’s anointed man. Why not? Surely God had given the opportunity to David to slay Saul who was trying to kill David (God’s next King?) David knew God said not to touch His anointed and David did good in return to Saul’s evil. Was this wise to be so gentle with Saul? The Bible here in I Samuel 18 references David’s behavior as wise 4 times. From these wise choices David finds himself protected and continually blessed of God. God makes it clear here through David that no matter the issue or evil being done to us we are too behave wisely and leave the discipline to God. Today may we allow our hearts to be challenged to behave wisely in the face of adversity that men might know the God we serve.